Gu Won Hoo said he would see off his parents and left the party hall for a moment.

In the meantime, Do Soon had moved to the outdoor space behind the annex and was walking around the empty pool lost in thought.

“What? Someone to marry? Wow, Gu Won Hoo is really funny, seriously!”

Even knowing it was just part of the plan, her heart had started pounding from the moment she heard those words and still hadn’t calmed down.

After circling the pool several times, Do Soon felt her feet aching badly and sat down on a sun lounger, still muttering to herself.

“Tch, he didn’t even put saliva on his lips. How often must he lie to be like that?”

No, there was something even more disappointing than that.

She had put so much effort into styling her hair femininely and wearing a dress to look pretty for him.

But what is this?

Even if he couldn’t say she looked pretty today, isn’t it common sense and loyalty to at least pretend to look for someone when they disappear? It’s more than enough time to find her in 30 minutes, but he hasn’t even shown his face, let alone called. Or maybe he’s happier that I’ve disappeared?

Since he’s shown his parents that he has a woman to marry, I guess he’s achieved his goal for today.

As time passed, Do Soon’s expectation that Gu Won Hoo would come looking for her gradually faded. Instead, she felt more and more self-loathing for constantly thinking about someone who wouldn’t come. Do Soon started taking the pins out of her hair one by one while taking in the moonlit view of the pool.

It’s like she discovered a new side of herself that she hadn’t known before. She was surprised at how lovely her reflection in the mirror looked.

Though she had liked her hairstyle that much, it was no longer needed now. Her fingers, full of resentment, scattered her hair wildly, to the point where it was unclear if she was removing the pins or venting her anger.

“Ow… Why does it hurt so much?”

A chunk of hair came out along with a hairpin. Do Soon’s face scrunched up as she looked down at it. And that’s when it happened.

“Shall I help you?”

“!”

Do Soon’s furrowed eyes quickly darted up to the face of the man standing right in front of her at the unexpected voice.

“Oh? It’s the CEO!”

“Why did you come out here? Do you know how awkward it was for me to be caught by the elders while looking for Yeo Do Soon inside?”

Won Hoo, who sat down next to her on the sun lounger, poured out his complaints in one breath as he reached towards Do Soon’s disheveled hair.

“Just leave it. It was pretty…”

Won Hoo muttered to himself as he continued removing the hairpins dangling from her already half-loosened hair.

“…!”

Do Soon suddenly went blank. She understood what he was saying, and it was exactly what she had been hoping to hear, but she was completely surprised to hear it like this in this situation, so her mind went numb for a moment.

“Ouch, that stings!”

But she could still feel the sharp pain.

“It hurts!”

“Hehe…”

Even though she said it hurt, Won Hoo seemed to be enjoying himself as he continued to pick out pins with a mischievous smile.

“Oh my, why are you laughing? Is plucking someone else’s hair that fun?”

“It’s not that. I was just wondering why you took it down.”

“It’s my hair, so what does it matter to you if I put it up or take it down?”

“Because your long neckline is as beautiful as a deer’s?”

“W-what, are you saying my neck is pretty right now?”

As her heart started racing quickly at Won Hoo’s words, Do Soon swept her short hair to one side and deliberately stretched out her neck. It was meant to tell him to look properly again.

“That’s right. Enough to want to make Yeo Do Soon my woman.”

“…!”

Do Soon turned her head sharply to look at Gu Won Hoo’s face in surprise.

Though his expression was playful, his darkened eyes burned hot enough to swallow the deer in front of him whole in one bite.

Professor Eom and his wife, who had to board a flight to Canada early tomorrow morning, had no choice but to hurry out of the banquet hall. They exchanged warm farewells with Chairman Tae and his wife, promising to meet again next year.

And not long after, So Rin called out to Professor Eom and his wife as they came out in front of the hotel.

“Mom, Dad, over here!”

So Rin’s husband and son were already waiting in the car. Before getting into that car, Yeon Hee embraced So Yeon affectionately.

“We’ll be going now. I’ll just have to trust Tae.”

“Please take good care of So Yeon.”

As Yeon Hee, who was now letting go of her daughter, separately asked Seo Jun to look after So Yeon, Eun Hyeok followed up with another word of request.

“Of course.”

Seo Jun’s dependable attitude as he bowed his head respectfully eased the concerns of Professor Eom and his wife.

Hyun Woo, holding Seo Jun and So Yeon’s hands tightly in each of his, remained silent with his lips pressed together.

It seemed even the child knew.

The love of his grandmother who had taken such good care of him. That throwing a tantrum to make her stay wouldn’t work now. That showing tears would greatly pain his grandparents’ hearts. So he had to endure missing them and wait nicely until the day they meet again, no matter how much he wanted to see them.

Yeon Hee bent down to meet Hyun Woo’s eyes as he held back his tears and spoke.

“We should say goodbye too.”

“Then when will we meet again?”

“Probably after winter passes and the new year comes, we’ll be able to meet. Then you can see us whenever you miss us.”

Hyun Woo, who had hugged Yeon Hee and Eun Hyeok in turn, spoke maturely with his big round black eyes brimming with tears.

“I love you… very, very, very much…”

“I do too, Hyun Woo…”

Yeon Hee, hugging Hyun Woo tightly once more, furrowed her brow to hide her emotional feelings.

“Honey, let’s go now.”

It was Eun Hyeok who urged Yeon Hee, who couldn’t easily let go of the child. The shorter the farewell, the better, and the deeper the longing, the more joyful and welcoming the reunion.

They had decided on a complete return since last year. Though they were just visiting briefly now to attend their daughter’s engagement ceremony, when they come next year they will be putting down deep roots to live here again, so Eom Eun Hyeok was able to get in the car without lingering attachments.

So Yeon and Seo Jun, who had stayed in place until the black sedan driving further and further away from the hotel completely disappeared from view, had to return to the party venue that was not yet over.

Hyun Woo, who had been playing excitedly among the adults, rubbed his eyes while trying to hold back a yawn that came out naturally, looking visibly tired as children do. As it was about time for her son to go to sleep, So Yeon said while taking care of Hyun Woo along with Jessica:

“You go back first, oppa. I’ll stay with Hyun Woo a bit longer and come back.”

“Let’s go together.”

Seo Jun turned his body towards the main building.

“What about your guests, like Director Yoon? I’ll just watch Hyun Woo fall asleep since the room is unfamiliar, then come back. Don’t worry, Jessica is here too.”

“I don’t want to.”

“At least one of us needs to stay. Hurry back!”

So Yeon pushed Seo Jun’s back, forcing him into the annex, then headed towards Tae Seo Jun’s private suite in the main building with Jessica and Hyun Woo.

At the same time.

As the shaman had said, Jung Hwa, who had been wandering around all day as her heart desired and finally checked into a room at Hotel Elstella, got off the elevator from an upper floor, passed the central front desk, and walked click-clack through the grand and splendid lobby.

Strangely, she felt a strong urge to look around the annex area that she had never been to before. Though it was nighttime, insisting on wearing sunglasses was a very natural habit as a celebrity.

The small accident that occurred in this place where nothing seemed likely to happen was when Jung Hwa was passing through the hotel’s revolving door to go outside.

Pitter-patter… Bonk!

So excited about something, the little child’s forehead bumped into Yoo Jung Hwa’s leg as he came running.

“I’m sowwy, auntie.”

Since it was a light collision, Hyun Woo, who didn’t fall down, put his hands together at his belly button and bowed his head. Though a young child, Hyun Woo apologized quite politely and lifted his small, delicately handsome face to look up at Jung Hwa.

“Did Hyun Woo make you huwt?”

“What? Auntie? Where do I look like an auntie to you?”

“Sob, Mommy…”

Frightened by the scary auntie’s voice, Hyun Woo hid behind his mother who had followed, at that moment.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry! My child made a mistake…!”

So Yeon, who was hurriedly apologizing, couldn’t finish her words. Her eyes had met directly with Yoo Jung Hwa’s.

“You…!”

This was your child?

Jung Hwa’s expression distorted and froze as she looked back and forth between Eom So Yeon and the child.

The child’s face looked familiar somewhere. A boy who looked exactly like Tae Seo Jun. If this child’s mother was Eom So Yeon, who had been with Tae Seo Jun years ago…

At this moment when the situation before her eyes, the events from long ago, and the shaman’s words that Tae Seo Jun had already formed a family fit together like a puzzle, Jung Hwa’s heart pounded rapidly.

You people, what on earth is this…!

After examining the child more closely once again, Jung Hwa let out a sharp sneer as if in disbelief.

“Hah, this is absurd…”

It was a close call. Jung Hwa reached out her hand towards the small child and spat out harsh words, but before that, So Yeon quickly picked up Hyun Woo and covered his ears.

“So this was the reason? It’s truly ironic that Tae Seo Jun chose you, but a vulgar person used vulgar methods to trap a man!”

“Don’t say such strange things!”

As So Yeon and Jung Hwa’s gazes clashed fiercely, Jessica, noticing that this was no ordinary bad blood, stepped between the two of them.

“Seems like a properly crazy woman, let’s just go, miss.”

“No, you take the child to the room first.”

So Yeon carefully handed Hyun Woo over to Jessica, as if protecting him, and quickly sent them into the main building.

“What are you two? You even have a child together while cleverly deceiving everyone. Especially me? So that’s why Tae Seo Jun loudly claimed you were his man in front of me. Isn’t that right?”

Jung Hwa, who had taken off her sunglasses, raised her fierce gaze. That contemptuous look swept So Yeon’s particularly beautiful attire from head to toe.

The elegant dress and accessories that were clearly expensive at a glance. The radiant light emanating from So Yeon was fully reflected in Jung Hwa’s prickly eyes.

Though she didn’t know for sure, it seemed So Yeon was returning from quite a fancy event with her child, which meant there was a high probability that Tae Seo Jun was also somewhere in this hotel.

Jung Hwa’s eye corners trembled and rose sharply as she deduced that far.

“What suffering I endured inside the detention center! Even after getting out, why are my days still hell? While I’m in this state, are you just happy?”

In response, So Yeon lowered her voice and spoke emphatically, word by word:

“Suffering and hell? That’s what Yoo Jung Hwa created herself, so how long will you keep blaming others? The one who hit may not know, but the one who was hit cannot be comfortable. That’s the price for your sins! You’ll live a lifetime of unhappiness. Unless you repent for your crimes!”

Perhaps stung by the bold admonition? Jung Hwa grabbed So Yeon’s collar and pulled her towards herself, spitting out rough words without restraint.

“Not at all! You stole Tae Seo Jun from me! You’re a thief! How dare you talk about the price of sin? Now you feel it! How it feels to have what’s most precious taken away! Even if I die, I’ll tear the three of you to shreds!”

“You’ll touch my precious people? Remember this. Yoo Jung Hwa will certainly pay the price for her crimes. And look forward to it. The one who will make you that way is me.”

So Yeon stared directly at Yoo Jung Hwa and drove her unusually low voice into Jung Hwa’s ears.

The calm tone was chilling. This side of Eom So Yeon was too different from her usual seemingly fragile appearance.

Though her startled hand let go of So Yeon’s collar because of that, Jung Hwa didn’t forget her vicious gaze and mocking tone even in this flustered moment.

“You still don’t know me after going through all that. Will you only regret it when your eyes are filled with tears of blood? I already know what’s most precious to you. So let’s see who wins!”